Means for cutting fabrics into lengths or portions



- W. COOMBES MEANS FOR CUTTING FABRICS INTO LENGTHS OR PORTIONS h-Original Filed March 5. 1927 s'sn'e ts-sheet 1 Dec. 6, 1927.

w. coomBzs MEANS FOR CJTTINGFABRICS INTO LENGTHS 0R PORTIONS (Dr iginalFiled Man-$115, 1927' s Sheets-Sheet 2 WIIIImIIIIII'YIWIII/I/IIIIA alluh I Dec. 6, 1927.- 1,652,093

. W. COOMBES MEANS FOR CUTTING FABRICS IN TO LENGTHS OR PORTIONSOriginal Filed March 5, 1927 3 Sheets$heet 3 TES Patented Dec. 6, 1927UNITED/STA WILLIAM oooMBns, or WOLLATONPVENGLANDL MEANS ron CUTTINGFABRICS INTO LENe'rHs" onronrronsg origina aiicatidn filed March 5',i927,- Serial No. 1733017j'and in Great Britain November 10, 1925.

i Divided and this application filed November 3, 1927. serial No.230,843.

This'invention comprises improvements in or relating to means forcutting fabrics into lengths or portions. This is a division ofapplication Serial Number 173,017, filed March 5, 1927. V "The inventionhas particular, thoughnot exclusive, reference to fabriowhich isproduced in a continuous piece and subsequently out intothe requisitelengths to form towels, cleaning clothsand other like articles. In themanufacture of fabric forproducing such articles it is customary atpredetermined intervals "to discontinue for a certain specified time thelay or feed of the yarn which extendstransversely across thelongitudinally extending threads and binds to- 'gether such threads,thus producing lengths of fabric connected at intervals by comparativelyj narrow. tra isv'eise bands composed solely? of longitudinallyextending threads. This, in fabric'composed of warp and weft, producesWeftless bands between predetermined lengths of complete or solid?fabric, and for convenience these bandswill hereinafter be referred to"as weftless divisions; i v

Affeature of the present invention consists in the, pro'vision'of amachine for cut ting fabrics into lengths or portions com-' prising arotary fabric feed ng. frame, a'

rotary fabric cutting device, and means associated with the rotaryfeeding member for "engaging successively with weftless portions ofthe-fabric and anchoring said fabric so 'a'sfto be severed at saidweftless portions;

Another feature resides in the provision of an intermittently rotatablefabric feeding frame hpvi'ng elements thereon which 7 serve thedu'alpurpose of intermittentlywithdrawing a predetermined length of fabricfrom the'supply and anchoring the fabric in position for being actedupon by the cutter. j V 1 7 Further features reside in the provision ofmeans for alternately movingthe cutter into] and' out of cutting.positioii,ancl means for'en'ablingthe length or quantityof fabricwithdrawn andseverecl at each operation to be variably adjustedasrequired;

Other features reside inthe construction and arrangement of machine andmethod of operation as hereinafter more fully described and set forth inthe appendedclaims.

-' For the purpose of more'fully describing the nature of thisinventi0n,reference will "ings, wherein r I Figure 1 isa side QlGVfttlOIlEllVlBWof a the opposite side thereof."

dially from its outer face.

now be made to 'theqaccompanying draw machine in accordance with thisinvention. Figure 2 is an elevation'al view of part'of the machineshownin Figure 1 looking at y Figure 8 is a planview showing thecutte'rs used on the machine. I

Figure & isasection through the rotating frame showing means ametcrthereof;

Figure 5 is a side! elevational view showing a further modifiedconstruction.

rigure 6 IS a plan view of Figure 5.

for adjusting i the difrom a plurality of pieces each withdrawn from aseparate supply roller or beam, but

it is to be understood that the machine is equally effective in severingportions from I a single fabric piece.- I i 4 The fabric rollers 1 (fourof which are to rotate within brackets or bearings 2 ad- V, In the onemethod of carrying out the 'in '80 illustrated) are mounted one abovethe other j'ustably or otherwise'carried at. the rear l part of themachine frame 8,1 the'brackets at either or both ends of thetrollerspreferably being hinged or formed with a hinged or displa'ceable portionfor facilitating 1 the withdrawal of anemptyroller 'or'beam and theinsertion ofla fresh roller.

Mounted. to; "rotate intermittently on a of and preferably at al lowerlevel'than the equally spaced radially extending end j arms horizontalaxis at a suitable distance infr'on't 4L between'which at'ror near theirex'tremities are transversely or hor zontally extend-'- ingbars5,,somewhatin the nature of a yarn winding mill, each of said horizontalbars having a series ofU-shaped wire elements '6 or theirequivalentprojecting ra- The-fabric lengths 8 with weftless divisions' 9are withdrawnfromtlie rollers land A second bar 7 suitably guidedforwardly to extend over 7 g the above named rotatable framef4 ,1saidfabric being adapted to depend in frontof I theforemost bars 5 ,I7' ofsaid. frame. Pref- 7 7 erably the fabric 8 isguided to the rotatingframe and the separate lengths of said fabric maintained out of contactwith each other prior to reaching the frame 1 by suitably disposed andadjustably i'uounted rollers or the like 10. l

The arrangement is such that as the frame at rotates in the direction ofthe arrow shown in Figure 1 the wire elements 6 carried by each bar 5 asit travels over the upper-most position in its circular path comes intoengagement with a weftless division 9 in all of the superposed fabriclengths 8 passing over said arm, said elements 6 being caused to projectup through the several weftless divisions and, by continued rotation ofthe frame, exert a forward pull upon the several fabric lengths, therotation being continued until the bar 5 having the wire elements 6which project through the fabric is located in the most forward positionwith the side arms 4 carrying same horizontal, when intermittent topermit of the cutting operations. It is to be understood that at eachrotative movement of the frame 1 certain of the anchoring elements 6function to engage with and project through weftless divisions in eachof the fabric lengths 8 thus drawing off at each motion the requiredlength to be severed from each fabric piece.

'lheintermittent rotation of frame +1 may be effected from disc crank oreccentric 11 carried by shaft 12 driven fronil any convenient source ofpower, said crank carrying a pivoted pawl 13 projecting upwardlytherofron'rand held in engagement. by a suitable spring 14 with aratchet wheel 15 keyed on t 1e central spindle 1(3 of f 'ume l thenumber of teeth on the ratchet coinciding with, and being angularlyspaced to the same extent as the arms 4:. By this arrangement one halfof each revolution of the crank 11 effects a rotative movement of theframe =1 to the extentof one sixth of a complete revolution while duringthe other half of the revolution of the crank the frame is heldstationary and the pawl 13 is moved down to engage with another tooth onthe ratchet 15 prior to the next movement of the frame.

A suitable stop 17 limitstheilateral movement of the pawl 13 under theinfluence ofits spring.

During the stationary period of the frame the cutting operation is ineffect, and in one method of accomplishing this a plurality of rotarycutting discs 18 are rotatably mounted upon separate laterally alignedares, said discs being arranged to overlap each other to a suitableextent. These cutters are mounted upon a suitable plate or frame 19which is slidahly adjustable within or upon another plate or frame 20 ina direction at right angles to the axis of the rotary frame at. theadjustment being effected by any suitable means such as a screw memher21. n l

The plate or frame member 20 is also slidable to and fro within suitableguides 22 carried by or forming part of the machine frame 2}, thisreciprocative sliding movement of the frame 20 being required in orderto move the cutters 18 alternatively into and out of engagement with thefabric 8, the cutters being brought into engagement with the fab- .ricwhen the frame 4t stationary and moved away from said fabric after thecutting operation and before the frame a commences to rotate to bringfurther fabric into position for cutting.

This reciprocative movement of the frame 20 with cutters 18 may beeffected from the shaft 12 through the intermediary of a second disccrank carried by this shaft, a horizontally extending rod or link 2%, anupwardly extending centrally pivoted lever 25 pivotally connected atitslower end to rod 21 and at its upper end by pin and slotpcon' nectionto the sliding frame 20. The operation is so timed that while the pawl13 is rotating the frame 1 the frame 20 is away from the fabric and.while said pawl 13 is being brought down and the frame f is maintainedstationary, the frame 20 is moved towards the fabric so as to enable thecutters to sever same. 3 3 i Simultaneous rotating of the cutting discsmay be effected in any desired manner such,

for example, as by mounting smallmotor 26 on the frame 19 moving. withthe cutters and transmitting motion from the motor to the cutters bydriving band 27 which passes over a pulley 28 on the axis of one of thecutters; a second endless band 29 being passed over pulleys 30 on theaxes of the several cutters. l a i To retain the frame at fromdisplacement while cutting is being ell'ected asmall spring n-es-edpin81 (I igures 2 and 5) .may be provided adapted to engage withone of aseries of peripheral notches 32 in wheel 33 thearm'being sufiicient tomove the cutter throughthe fabric" and clear of same' ateach stroke,'this movement being; timed so that while/the frame 4 is being rotatedthe arm35 isstationary, and whilethe frame-4 is sta- V e p I ternallyscrew threaded'holes ineach transtionaryith'e,cuttingstroke iseffected.)

In one method ofaccomplishing this the, arm-as has pivotally-connect-edthereto at a.

suitable position in its lengtlftheone end of a rod 3 the other'end ofseiidrodfbeing connected to a disc crank; or eccentric 38 keyed uponai-vertical rotatable shaft 39 suitahlycarried by the machinefrzimeorparts thereon. On this shaft 39 is-keyed a' gear wheel which isadaptedto'mesh intermit' tently'with a gearwheel 41 having teeth on onehalf of its circumference only. This hal f c'og 41'iskeyed upon afurthervertical rotating shaft 42 having fixed thereon-a pulley .43 overwhich passes a driving band 44 which bandalso passes over a secondpulley 45 on the before mentioned shaft 12. The' arrangement is suchthat as the shaft 42 with half cog 41 rotates, the latter transmitsduring one half of its revolution rotary motion to the gear wheel andthe disc crank rotating therewith, during which movement the cutter arm35 is, through the medium of the connecting rod .37, angularly displacedto traverse the cutter across the machine. During the second half of therevolution of the half cog 41 which coincides with the rotative movementof the frame'4-no motion is transmitted to the cutter arm by reasonof'there being no intermeshing engagement between the half wheel 40. r

The necessary rotary movement of the 'cutter 34- is, in thisarrangementyalso ad;

} .-versely extending arms 5 'together' with the vantageously effectedfrom a small motor 46 suitably carried'at the rear or pivoted end of thearm 35 so as to bemoved with said arm, a. driving belt 47 extending froma pulley of the motor to a pulley 48 fixed'to the cutter axis. j

In order to vary the effective diameter of the cutting frame 4 so as toadapt the machine for use in cutting varied lengths of fabric, i; e.fabric in whichthedistance between the weftless divisions vary, thetransadjacent arms 7 are so mounted as to be adjjusted radially of thearms 4 means being preferably provided whereby the whole'of the arms 5and are adjustable simultanecog41 and thegear 'ously' to an equald'egree. 'Thismay: be: ef

'fected as -ishownin Figurei4- by. mounting upon the central: spindle16' a rotatable sleeve '49 having fixed at each end thereof a bevel 50,eachbevel intermeshingwith a se-' 'I'ies' ofother bevelled sleeves 5lfixedwat the.

. equal number 1 of smaller" bevels- 511 would be furnished at each endofv said-frame; Two of the screwed spindles '52: pass. through inverselyextending-arm: 5. and'the arrangement is such that by transmitting;rotation to any one of the screwed spindles 52 by means ofa handle58rotative movementis transmitted to the. sleeve" 49' and bevels car ri ed'tl1ei'eby',.wl1ic11 in: turn transmits rota;-

tionito the whole of therbevels 51 andw'spinidles- 52,- and by reason of"the screwing en;- gagementibetween said ispindles' 525 andbars 5 the.latter. simultaneously moveweither in:- wardlyxor. outwardly inaccordance with. the

{ direction; of turning. of. the handle... It will be'appreciatedthat'the spindles 52 on the one end of the frame are provided with righthand-screw threads while the spindles at the other end of the frame haveleft hand threads. I Y

Any suitable means may be providedfor applying tension to the fabriclengths 8 withdrawn from rollers 1. For example the spindles or therollers may be frictioned by springs 1? or friction may be applied tothe surfaces of the fabric rollers.

The severed portions of fabric may be received upon a'continuously.travelling belt. I

54 (Figure 1), a guide bar 55 being,-if

desired, provided for ensuring that the severed fabric in falling isproperly laid upon the belt 54.

I claim 1.v A machine for cutting a fabricwith weftless divisions intolengths comprising an intermittently rotatable fabric feeding frame, arotary cutter, means carried by;

said frame for successively engaging with weftless portions of thefabric and feeding same to the cutter, said fabric engaging means alsoanchoringthe fabric so as, to be severed at the weftless divisions, andmeans for moving the cutter into cutting position iwhile the feedingframe is stationary .and

out of. such position while the frame is rotating. 2. A machine. forcutting into lengths fabric formed with weftless divisions, comprising arotary fabric feeding frame, means for intermittently rotating saidframe, eleiplurality of positions around its circum- 'ments projectingradially from said frame ferential ath of movement, said elementssuccessive y projecting through weftless divisions in the fabric andserving the dual purpose of withdrawing fabric from its supply andanchoring same in position for cutting, a, rotary cutter, means formoving said cutter into engagement with the fabric while the feedingframe and fabric are stationary and means for withdrawing said cutterwhile the fabric is being fed.

3. A machine for cutting into lengths fabric formed with weftlessdivisions, comprising supports for a plurality of rolls of such fabric,a rotary fabric feeding frame, means for guiding the fabrics from saidrolls to said frame, means for transmitting intermittent rotation tosaid frame, said fabrics passing on to said frame in superposedrelations, elements carried by said frame for successively engaging withsuperposed weftless divisions in the fabric, saidelements effectingsimultaneous withdrawal of the fabric from their supply rolls andanchoring same in position for cutting, a rotary cutting device, meansfor moving said cut ting device into engagement with the superposedfabricswhile the rotary frame is stat tionary and means for displacingsaid cutter from its cuttingposition while said frame intermittentrofabric and functioning both to draw said a a fabric from the supplyand anchor same during cutting, rotary cutting means, means fortransmitting rotary motion to said cutter, means for moving said cutteralternately towards and away from the fabric, said last named meansworking in conjunction with the means for transmitting inter mittentrotation to thefeeding frame so as to move the cutter away from thefabric during feeding and into engagement with said fabric while thefeed is stationary, spring-influenced means for preventing movement ofthe fabric feed during cutting,

and means for adjusting the effective size of the rotary feeding frameso as to enable the size of the fabric portions withdrawn and severed tobe adjusted. t i

WILLIAM COOMBES.

